Primrose Gets a Disability Parking Placard

Artist: Robin Mead

If you have an invisible illness that makes walking difficult, don’t be afraid to get a disability parking placard. It can be a big help and is very easy to do! Primrose wanted to share her story and some good tips for others.

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Primrose Gets a Disability Parking Placard

Here’s how I got my disability placard:

💮 I went to Google and typed in the name of my state, plus the words “disability parking”. This brought me right to the right page quickly. It is on the page for the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state.

💮 There is a link to the form. I printed it out.

💮 To make things easier for my doctor, I filled in the basic information: my name, my contact info, my signature, my doctor’s name, my doctor’s contact info. Then I circled and put a big arrow to the spot where my doctor needed to check a box and sign.

💮 At my next appointment, I gave the form to my doctor. It took him just one minute to check the box and sign it.

💮 The form will have a short list of ways you can qualify. Your doctor picks the one that applies to you and checks that box. In my case, my doctor checked the box “Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest.”

💮 The ways to qualify are different in each state, but “cannot walk more than 200 feet without resting” seems to be in most states. You can look at the form yourself and see which one you think you will qualify for. Here’s a sample form: Alabama Disability Parking

💮 My doctor handed me back the form. I put it in an envelop and mailed it.

💮 Some states have a small fee (like $5) for the placard and some states are free. If you want license plates, it costs a little more.

💮 Some states allow chiropractors, nurses, or other kinds of medical practitioners to sign this form.

A few weeks later, I got my placard in the mail. Yay!

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Kristine Gets a Parking Placard

In my state it is easy to get one!

I have mine and my husband gets a big kick out of it. I said if I were single I would post on Tinder: I come with handicapped parking!

It is so nice!!! Especially Wednesday the line to the grocery for parking was huge. I drove right in. Yippee! The one great benefit of which I will take advantage and enjoy!

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Learn More

🌷 If you have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome please always remember: too much physical exertion can make your symptoms worse. Sometimes permanently. It’s important to pace yourself and never push beyond what your body can handle. Some of our readers found that a parking placard helped them not push too hard.

🌷 If your doctor won’t sign, you can ask another practitioner. Warning: If your doctor won’t sign this form, that is a huge red flag that this doctor may cause many heartaches and headaches for you in other ways. Please read Dandelion’s Story

🌷 Some cities offer free or discounted parking to people with handicap license placards. Inquire with your local transit authority. Here’s an example from Virginia.

🌷 Lots of tips and ideas for How to Get Help with Car Expenses if you have disabilities.

🌷 Lots of ways to get free or low-cost transportation for people with disabilities or chronic illness: Transportation for Spoonies

Samantha Uses Her Parking Placard

This lady saw my handicap license plate and said, “Well, you look perfectly normal to me!”

I turned to look at her and said, very seriously, “Maybe that’s part of the problem. You can’t see what’s lurking under my shell.”

The look on her face was priceless! I often have to remind myself that other people’s judgment or ignorance is their burden to bare, not mine. I walk in my shoes, so I’m going to make sure I’m comfortable.

~ Samantha Sue Sullivan

What Do You Think? 

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Updated May 2019. If you found this page helpful, please share it with others by pressing one of these magic little buttons: